1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air conditioning systems, and more particularly, to an air conditioning system, in which an indoor unit installed on a ceiling, and a duct for ventilation are combined into one compact unit.
2. Background of the Related Art
The air conditioner is an appliance for cooling or heating a room by using a property of refrigerant in which the refrigerant discharges or absorbs heat to/from an environment when the refrigerant undergoes a phase change.
In general, the air conditioner is provided with an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, wherein the air conditioner having the indoor unit and the outdoor unit combined into one unit is called as a unit type air conditioner, and the air conditioner having the indoor unit and the outdoor unit fabricated individually is called as a separate type air conditioner.
As a typical example of the unit type air conditioner, there is a window type air conditioner, and as the separate type air conditioners, there are a ceiling type air conditioner, a wall mounting type air conditioner, and a package type air conditioner. In a case of the ceiling type air conditioner, the indoor unit is installed in the ceiling, in a case of the wall mounting type, the indoor unit is mounted on a wall, and in a case of the package type air conditioner, the indoor unit stands on a floor in a room.
In general, the air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The compressor compresses low temperature/low pressure gas refrigerant to high temperature/high pressure refrigerant, and makes the refrigerant to pass through different units. The condenser condenses the gas refrigerant from the compressor into a liquid refrigerant. In this instance, as the refrigerant discharges heat when the refrigerant is condensed, the condenser discharges heat to an environment. As the heat is discharged from the condenser to the room, the room can be heated.
In general, as the expansion device, expanding the condensed refrigerant by decompression, capillary tubes are used. The evaporator vaporizes the expanded refrigerant, when the refrigerant absorbs heat to cool down air around the evaporator. When such a cooled down air is discharged to the room, the room can be cooled down.
In the meantime, for reducing heat loss during use of the air conditioner, the room is closed. Air in such a closed room is polluted gradually as time passes by. For an example, breathing of persons in the room makes a carbon dioxide content in the room air higher, and there is much dust circulating in the dry air. Therefore, after using the air conditioner for a time period, it is required to supply fresh external air to the room. What is used for this is the very ventilation device.
Most of known related art ventilation device employs a system in which room air is only discharged to an outside of the room forcibly by using a fan. In this case, it is required to leave the window open for ventilation. However, when the room air is only discharged by one fan forcibly, cold or hot air is discharged to the outside directly, and external air is introduced into the room through an opened door or window, directly. Accordingly, there is a great loss of heat in the ventilation, to require, not only much energy, but also a long time to cool or heat the room again.
Moreover, the sudden introduction of hot or cold air from the outside to the inside of the room causes a sudden change of a room temperature, such that persons in the room feel unpleasant. Moreover, the opening of door or window without fail required when the ventilation device that discharges room air to outside of the room is in operation causes inconvenience.